Thursday, January 31, 2013

Mahathir behind Project IC, says Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today reiterated his stance that he had nothing to do with the citizenship-for-votes granted to Sabah immigrants in the 1990s.

Instead, he accused former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of being responsible for the task force allegedly responsible for the citizenships granted to the immigrants.

He also claimed that the exercise was ongoing and suggested that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) haul up Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well.

“I am ready for the [Royal Commission of Inquiry]. You can ask all the ministers, it was never discussed with me in the Cabinet, there are no minutes no reports, no related records,” Anwar said at a press conference today.

“This is Mahathir’s method; but can he deny that he is responsible for founding the taskforce? All the reports were to his knowledge. He must answer this first.”

Yesterday, Mahathir had claimed his former deputy was the main man behind the so-called “Project IC”, which is now under probe by the RCI.

He said that there were times when Anwar had acted without his orders, and that the exercise was Anwar’s own initiative.

“He normally takes the initiative and sometimes do more [than is required],” online news portal Malaysiakini quoted Mahathir as saying.

“What happens on the ground is often different from the directive [from above],” added Mahathir.

Last week, Anwar had stated his willingness to testify in the ongoing RCI, but was quick to add that he was in the dark about the project.

He also said that the RCI had not summoned him because “they know I have nothing to do with it”.

Today, Anwar again said that he would readily testify before the RCI.MORE TO FOLLOW